Current Legal News

Stay current with legal news in Tennessee. This page features the latest news for and about the Tennessee legal community, either produced by the Tennessee Bar Association or collected from news sources.

State senators approved two bills yesterday that honor the legacies of Knox County couple Channon Christian and Chris Newsom, who were brutally murdered seven years ago, WBIR reports. The Chris Newsom Act would do away with the state's 13th juror rule, which requires a judge to validate a jury verdict by signing a document. An amended version of the Channon Christian Act would prevent evidence or allegations of previous behavior that could call into question the character of a victim, defendant, witness or third-party. The House companion bills are set to be discussed by a subcommittee next Wednesday.

Chattanooga law firm Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel honored the 2013-2104 John C. Stophel Distinguished Students at a reception Tuesday at the Chambliss Conference Center. The reception offered the 10 award recipients — eight undergraduates and two graduate students — the opportunity to meet and engage with members of Chattanooga’s business community. Now in its sixth year, the Stophel Scholars program aims to foster local talent and encourage promising students to build long-lasting mentor relationships with Chattanooga professionals. The Hamilton County Herald has more.

Former Assistant District Attorney General Eric D. Christiansen of Greeneville died Tuesday. He was 72. After his retirement, the University of Tennessee College of Law graduate continued to serve the courts as a senior member of the local bar. The family will receive friends tonight from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Children’s Center, 119 Fairgrounds Circle in Greeneville.

The U.S. Department of Justice has joined a whistle-blower lawsuit claiming Tenet Corp. and Health Management Associates (HMA) entered into contracts with clinics that referred pregnant women living in the U.S. illegally to hospitals operated by HMA and Tenet in exchange for kickbacks from fraudulent Medicaid claims. Last year, Tenet acquired Nashville-based Vanguard Health Systems, while HMA was recently purchased by Franklin-based Community Health Systems. The Nashville Business Journal has more.

John Jay Hooker’s brief campaign for the Davidson County Circuit Court ended when Hamilton “Kip” Gayden – who Hooker filed to run against -- issued an order this morning saying he would recuse himself from any cases involving Hooker so that he wouldn’t run afoul of judicial ethics rules, the Tennessean reports. With Gayden off the case involving Hooker’s challenge of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, the 83-year-old attorney withdrew his petition to enter the race.

Neal Pinkston, executive assistant in the district attorney's office, will be the next Hamilton County District Attorney since he was the only candidate to file for the seat being vacated by Bill Cox as the noon deadline passed today. Criminal Court Judges Rebecca Stern, Don Poole and Barry Steelman are also unopposed, as are City Judges Sherry Paty and Russell Bean and Chancellor Jeff Atherton. Circuit Court Judge Marie Williams, Neil Thomas and Jeff Hollingsworth also do not have opposition. Visit the Chattanoogan for a summary of campaign filings.

Legislative efforts to remove the Supreme Court’s power to select the state Attorney General appear to be stalled. A bill calling for popular election of the post (SJR 123) was rejected by the full Senate on Feb. 5 and Wednesday the House Civil Justice Subcommittee took off notice SJR 196, which called for appointment of the AG by the General Assembly. Gavel to Gavel looks back at similar bills that have failed to change the selection process over the past 17 years.

A number of judicial campaign committees in Sumner County have filed fundraising reports to the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. The Tennesseean provides some highlights from the reports, including how several candidates are faring in their efforts to replace Chancellor Tom Gray, who is not seeking re-election. Results are also available for candidates running for juvenile court judge and clerk and master.

The Tennessee Senate will likely go along with minor changes made to the wine in food stores bill passed today by House of Representatives, the Commercial Appeal reports. The bill allows towns, cities and counties with liquor stores or liquor by the drink to start holding public referendums this November to decide whether to permit local food stores to sell wine.

Cumberland University and the Wilson County Election Commission are working together to improve the voting experience in Wilson County. Students in Eric Landis' MBA class have teamed with the election commission on a project to gather data on how long it takes to vote a ballot. The Aug. 7 general election ballot will include 15 judicial offices and all Wilson County offices except property assessor. Along with the general election, there will be a federal and state primary for all state legislative offices, governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. “The August ballot will have a large number of races on it,” administrator of elections Phillip Warren told the Tennessean. “This research helps us be prepared and have adequate voting machines at the polls on Election Day.”

A handful of candidates beat the noon deadline today to file for the May 6 Shelby County primary. The Election Commission was working shortly after the deadline on the list of filed candidates that it regularly updates on its website. Commission chairman Robert Meyers said he hopes to have signatures on the filed petitions verified within 48 hours. Candidates have until Feb. 27 to withdraw from the primary. The Commercial Appeal has more.

Keta J. Barnes formally announced her bid for re-election as the presiding judge of the Smyrna Municipal/General Sessions Court, the Daily News Journal reports. “I want to thank each of you for your faith and trust in me,” the judge said in her press release. “I ask for your continued support as I seek to retain the office of Smyrna town judge.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee has settled the federal lawsuit she filed against the Monroe County Heritage Museum in her south Alabama hometown over its sale of souvenirs featuring her name and the title of her book, the Commercial Appeal reports. The settlement notice came days after a judge refused to dismiss the lawsuit, filed last fall, which said the museum uses Lee's name and the title of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel without compensating her.

Child support magistrate Lu Ann Ballew — who was fired for changing a child’s name from Messiah to Martin — has picked up a petition to run for sessions judge. Ballew’s decision to change the child’s name was overruled, and Circuit Judge Duane Sloan fired her from her appointed job. She has been cited by the Board of Judicial Conduct and faces a hearing next month. Ballew has picked up a petition to run for the post being vacated by the retirement of Sessions Judge Ben Strand, based in Dandridge. There are four other candidates in the race, the Metro Pulse reports.

In an editorial, the Daily News Journal criticizes the plaintiffs of the ongoing Murfreesboro mosque lawsuit for wasting county taxpayer’s dollars. Rutherford County already has spent more than $340,000 for its defense in a lawsuit that continues to challenge the right of the Islamic faithful to build a mosque on Veals Road, the newspaper writes. The county won a state appeal that overturned the decision of Chancellor Robert Corlew that the county did not provide adequate public notice about consideration of the development plans for the mosque. Plaintiffs are now taking their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Attorney Adam Dread will run on a Republican ballot for General Sessions judge instead of as a Democrat. The former at-large Metro councilman is part of a crowded field running for General Sessions Judge Division IX. He said yesterday that he had learned a Davidson County Democratic Executive Committee member questioned his credentials and was leading the challenge to remove him from the ballot. Dread told the Tennessean, “It has always been my belief that judicial races should be non-partisan, as you are running to be an ‘impartial’ judge.”

According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, lawmakers in Georgia say they have instructed state Attorney General Sam Olens to file suit in the U.S. Supreme Court if Tennessee doesn’t agree to give up 1.5 square miles near Dade County so a pipeline could be bult to pump up to 1 billion gallons of water a day from Nickajack Lake. Georgia legislators say Tennessee can have 66.5 square miles of land — and its 30,817 residents — that they claim a surveyor misdrew when creating state lines almost 200 years ago. The ongoing debate was covered in a 2008 issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal.

Henry County Commissioners selected Robert Whitfield as the new county attorney last night, the Post Intelligencer reports. At 28, Whitfield is the youngest of five local attorneys who expressed interest in filling the void left when Lee Greer resigned in December after 32 years as county attorney.

Don’t miss this year’s Law Tech Un-conference Thursday in Nashville. The “un-conference” approach allows you to come for one hour or all day. You can attend for free or pay for CLE credit if needed. In either case, materials are free. If you can't make the unConference in person, you can watch the first session via webcast — free for those not seeking CLE credit. No need to register in advance, just come for the sessions you want.